


Illicit Love and Illicit Drinks

by IvyCpher



Category: Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (2013)
Genre: Alcohol, Dancing, Drunk Dancing, Fluff, Jay Gatsby works for the mafia, M/M, Morning Kisses, Speakeasies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 16:10:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19976860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyCpher/pseuds/IvyCpher
Summary: Gatsby takes Nick to his speakeasy for a drink.





	Illicit Love and Illicit Drinks

Nick had spent the night at Gatsby’s and now they were sitting together at an island countertop in the kitchen with glasses of orange juice and a plate of donuts between them. Morning sun poured through the windows and illuminated the space where they sat in some holy looking halo of light. He always seemed to be spending the nights at Jay’s nowadays and quite frankly Nick loved it. He loved waking up in Jay’s arms, he loved his messy bedhead in the mornings, he loved the early morning kisses. He mostly loved just being domestic, but never as much as he loved Jay.

“Hey, Nick, how would you feel about going out with me tonight?” Gatsby asked, gently nudging Nick’s shoulder with the back of his hand before grabbing a blueberry cake donut off the plate. He took a bite.

Nick quirked a brow as he drank from his sweating glass of orange juice, “Aren’t you having a party tonight though?” He put the glass on the island.

“Just because I’m hosting a party doesn’t mean I have to  _ attend,”  _ Gatsby said once he swallowed his food, he had small sugary crumbs on his lips from the donut and licked them away. “People don’t come to the parties for me anyways.”

Nick rolled his eyes, a smile pulling at his lips. “Jay, that’s the whole definition of a host,” He picked a glazed donut from the plate. He had once been fond of Jay’s parties, but that was when he was still trying to help him get back together with Daisy, when he used every excuse he could just to spend time with Jay. Now that they were together though the parties felt too loud, and as Jordan once put it ‘intimate’. He felt awkward tailing behind Jay all night and he hardly got a word in too with everyone wanting to speak to the mysterious _‘great_ _Gatsby’._ “Where did you want to go?”

With a grin Gatsby slid out of his chair and with his donut still in hand he drapped his arms over Nick’s shoulders and rested his chin in his hair. “I’m what we say in the business as-  _ partnered,  _ it’s the only way to stay in it and stay safe honestly. If you’re not partnered, you’re competition, and if you’re competition you’re dead.”

Nick knew what Jay did for work, or at least he knew some of it. He knew that Jay was a rumrunner although he never came out and said it directly, but he never knew what he did before that. “And who are you partnered with?"

Gatsby made a noise of many sounds that wasn't any word in any language, "Just the mafia, Old Sport, no one concerning-"

"What?" Nick turned his head around so fast that a hot pain shot down his neck. "You're working for the mafia?"

"Yes but that's not the important thing, nor is it what I wanted to talk about!" Gatsby rolled his eyes, "I was getting to the fact that through them is how I managed to become one of the more prominent people in the alcohol distribution business- and that I wanted to take you to the speakeasy I manage it through."

Nick sighed, "I swear, Jay, you worry me sometimes." He shook his head softly and looked down at his uneaten donut and then back at Gatsby. "What time would you like to go?"

Gatsby grinned and kissed Nick's cheek, "Why not six tonight then?"

"Six sounds good."

***

And so the day passed as normal from there. After breakfast and couple more kisses Nick went to his house across the yard and did the things he needed to do around the house while Gatsby did Lord knows what over at his own house. Six o'clock rolled around rather quickly, it always did on hot summer days.

Nick had changed into a green waistcoat with a freshly pressed shirt and slacks. He was just leaving his bedroom on the upper level when he heard the doorbell ring downstairs. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was just six. A smile spread across his face as he went down the steps, "Coming!' He called at the door.

He slipped on his shoes and then opened the door to see Jay in his pink suit, his smile only grew. "Hello, Jay."

"Hello, Nick." Gatsby returned his smile. "Ready to go then?" He held out his arm to Nick.

With a laugh, Nick took Gatsby's arm and stepped out of the house. "I'm ready," He shut the door behind him.

In the driveway, Gatsby's bright yellow Rolls-Royce sat idle and humming. They got in and started on their way to Gatsby's speakeasy.

The wind was warm and fast with the car's top down, it made such a mess of Nick's hair that he eventually stopped trying to fix it. "You know, ever since this morning I've been wondering something." 

"What is it, Old Sport?" Gatsby asked, taking his eyes off the road for just a second longer than Nick was comfortable with.

"You said you were partnered with the mob," Nick started slowly, testing his ground. He knew that Jay wasn't the type of person who liked to talk about his past. He had so many walls and Nick felt lucky to have taken down a few, he didn't want Jay to build those walls back up. "But you couldn't of just joined up with them and they automatically put you in a big position like this," He guested vaguely to nothing. "I was wondering what you started off doing, I mean- You're not a violent person, Jay, and I was just curious."

Gatsby bit his lip and looked over at Nick through the corner of his eye, "When I started off, they made me something of a loan manager. I kept track of everyone who borrowed money and when their payments were due."

"You must've been very good at it." And Nick believed him.

After a drive of nearly 15 minutes, Gatsby pulled into a back lot that was sided by a grungy looking brick building. He stepped out of the car and Nick followed suit. He had never been to a speakeasy before and was starting to feel a little anxious.

"You'll love it, Nick, I know you will." Gatsby smiled. He gestured for Nick to follow him with a tip of his head and then started on his way down the street, Nick walked besides him.

They passed empty shops and houses with boarded up windows but finally came to a stop in front of a little restaurant with a neon light that was switched off. Gatsby grabbed Nick's hand and pushed open the restaurants door, it was empty and quiet except for the noise of far off music.

"The restaurant is just a front," Gatsby said, leading Nick to the back of the restaurant where there was a large metal door. He pushed it open and the sound of music grew. The open door lead down a dimly lit staircase that was full of the noise of a jazz band. "It's only open for an hour every afternoon, the 23 rest of the hours in a day though, the  _ Pink Pipe  _ is open." He turned to Nick with a smile, his free hand gently cupped his cheek.

"The  _ Pink Pipe?"  _ Nick asked softly, his hand going to cover Gatsby's. "You really do like pink don't you?" He smiled, leaning forward to kiss the corner of Jay's mouth.

"What can I say? It's my favourite colour." Gatsby laughed softly and took his hand away from Nick's cheek to run it through his own windswept hair. "Let's go then," He said looking from the steps to Nick. When Nick nodded Gatsby lead the way.

The staircase was darker than it looked from the outside and Nick had to squint to see, there was little framed watercolour paintings of sceneries. One stood out to him in particular, a beaten bench with bright leaved trees all around it.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, Nick no longer had to squint. Bright hanging globes gave off hazy halos of light. He looked around and saw a small bar being manned by a black flapper girl, and a small circular stage with a small jazz band playing. The whole place was rather empty, but Nick assumed that was because everyone in town was headed to Jay's. When he finally looked back at Jay he saw that he was staring at him expectantly. "What do you think?" Jay asked.

"I love it," Nick said with a smile. He looked around the little illicit bar again and felt Jay's hand brush against his. "Does it have good drinks?" He looked back at him with a grin.

"Pff," Gatsby rolled his eyes and put both of his hands on Nick's shoulders, steering him in the direction of the bar. "You wound me, Nick! Why of course this place has good alcohol," He sat Nick down at a stool at the bar and sat beside him. "But you can be the judge of that," He put his hand on Nick's back for just a second longer than he should have since they were in public and then turned to the barmaid behind the counter. "Hello, Paula, could you get us a Strawberry Molly and a Dogs Eye Royal?"

Paula smiled and reached under the bar for two glasses, one was a whiskey glass while the other was a small Mason jar. "You got it, Mr. Gatsby," She gestured at Nick with the shot glass, "Who's your friend?"

"I'm Nick Carraway," Nick smiled and put out his hand.

Paula raised her eyebrows but put down the glass and shook Nick's hand, "Nice to meet you, Nick." Then she took the glasses and turned around to prepare the drinks.

Nick listened to the music of the band behind them, it was somehow both slow and inviting all at the same time. But he guessed that's just how jazz just was. After a few minutes had passed Paula turned around and placed the drinks in front of them. She gave Jay the Mason jar drink, a dark pink think topped with cream and a halved strawberry. She gave Nick the whiskey glass, it was filled with a dark, honey coloured liquid with a cinnamon stick shoved through a lemon wedge in it.

"Thank you," Nick said to Paula and with a soft nod she left the bar to join the band. He picked up his glass and it felt warm in his hands, he looked over at Jay who had already eaten the strawberry from atop his drink. He smiled, "Thanks for bringing me here, Jay."

"Thanks for coming, I was almost worried you wouldn't come when I told you about my er- 'connections'."

Nick rolled his eyes, his smile still on his face. "As long as your safe, I wouldn't of come if I thought this was something you couldn't handle." He looked down at his drink and took a sip, it was sweet and when he swallowed it he felt a whole warmth overcome his body.

"Since when is there anything I can't handle, Nick?" Jay grinned. He took a sip from his drink, getting cream on his nose in the process.

Nick laughed quietly, almost sadly, and leaned in to wipe away the cream on Gatsby's nose. "Just be careful for me, will you?"

Jay exhaled through his nose and was quiet for a moment, "I'll be careful," He whispered with a nod.

Nick nodded in return and sat back in his seat. He took another swig from his glass and it's warmth sent an odd shiver down his spine, "You were right, they do have good alcohol."

Jay smiled over the brim of his glass, "I told you," He put his drink down and turned to look at the band in the corner of the room. "You know.. There are two things you need to dance in public, alcohol and music. And now that I'm checking, we seem to have both."

"Are you asking to dance?"

"That depends," Jay grinned, "Do you want to?"

Nick wanted to say yes, but as soon as he opened his mouth to reply he closed it. He looked over at Paula and the band and bit his lip. "What about them?"

Jay looked back at them too and rolled his eyes, "What? There's nothing wrong with two men dancing, I've seen plenty of guys here doing actually very fine tangos- take it they were drunk off their asses at the time. Aside from that, I pretty much manage this place, I don't think they're inclined to care as long as they're being paid."

"Oh, why not?" Nick smiled and he downed the rest of his drink. "What could possibly happen?"

"There you go!" Gatsby slapped his fist on the bar and took another drink from his cup. He put it down on the counter and stood up, pulling Nick up by the hand. "If you gamble nothing you win nothing, Old Sport."

"Well we really are gambling everything, aren't we?" Nick asked quietly as Jay pulled him to the corner of the room where it would be harder for the band to see them. He took one of his hands out of Jay's grasp and moved it to his shoulder. 

Gatsby put his now free hand on Nick's hip and wound their fingers together with his other hand. "And I'm feeling especially lucky about our gamble, I feel it."

Nick wasn't a gambling man but he could feel it too. "And if we win the gamble what would be the prize?" He noticed that they were hardly even dancing, just holding each other and swaying in time to the music.

"Getting to dance in a room full of people instead of an empty bar." Jay ran his thumb over the back of Nick's hand. "Getting to kiss each other without worry of the curtains being drawn."

Nick breathed in, and let his forehead fall onto Jay's chest. It sounded like the most wonderful thing in the world, and it was, it was so wonderful it made him not worry of the chance of losing the gamble.

**Author's Note:**

> This idea just started off with the late night thought of cocktails with cool names and natsby. I'm not too proud of this though, so comments on what you guys think of it would really, really be appreciated.


End file.
